The Temple Tem-Cats had a large amount on their minds getting into Friday night’s frequent-period finale.
A Temple victory above visiting Harker Heights, which already experienced clinched the outright District 12-6A championship, would lock up the league’s coveted 2nd seed in the Course 6A playoffs and also avenge a two-stage reduction to the Girl Knights last month. All that, additionally the simple fact that it was a group of seniors’ closing dwelling recreation, bubbled to the floor inside Wildcat Fitness center — and the Tem-Cats let loose.
Nyteria Colbert posted 12 of her activity-superior 20 points in the fourth quarter when Temple held Heights to 2-of-18 capturing and outscored the Woman Knights by 12 to cap a fulfilling 58-43 victory at the finish of a again-and-forth contest in which neither staff led by extra than four through the 1st 3 quarters.
“A wonderful acquire towards a terrific group. We carried out the game program,” claimed Temple head coach RaShonta LeBlanc, whose group has won four in a row and 16 of 19 considering the fact that an -4 commence to the year. “I just imagined it was all-about a pretty good activity for us, especially simply because we desired this activity to be in a greater spot.”
Temple (16-7, 11-3) certainly gained the 2nd spot and will hold out until right now at the earliest to discover out which crew from 11-6A it plays in the bi-district round up coming 7 days. It will be possibly Duncanville or Cedar Hill, who participate in just about every other nowadays.
The Lady Knights (18-4, 13-1), who hadn’t dropped given that November, are the No. 1 seed. Killeen Ellison is No. 3 and Killeen Shoemaker No. 4.
Temple’s Aniah Hall experienced 18 factors and level guard Taliyah Johnson posted nine even though running the offense, staying company on protection and heeding tips she’s listened to by way of four years with the Tem-Cats.
“It’s a little something that a ton of coaches tell me about senior calendar year, ‘Don’t go away the floor with regrets.’ And I assumed about that. So, I experienced to give every possession my all,” Johnson said. “Of study course, I experienced turnovers, but that is going to happen. I just saved playing, stored enjoying, stored actively playing through, and we all just required it so lousy. That is how we got the gain. We all communicated. We all centered on the minor items mainly because we wanted to get so terrible.”
Sierra Brooks experienced 13 points and Angelique Morgan chipped in 10 for Heights, which overcame a 12-level, fourth-quarter deficit in the teams’ very first assembly Jan. 12 and won 48-46.
The Woman Knights led 14-11 right after a single quarter Friday night and ended up up 21-17 with 4:34 to engage in in the next. The Tem-Cats, while, scored 7 of the next nine details from there — which include Johnson’s slick driving layup, Hall’s close-assortment complete and a 3-pointer from Tamera Copeland that lifted Temple to a 24-23 halftime edge.
There ended up 10 guide alterations in the 3rd quarter that finished with the Tem-Cats in advance 40-37, which was their most significant cushion to that juncture.
The fourth quarter improved that.
“During observe, we were being speaking about how we experienced to control the tempo. At the time we received up, we experienced to manage the tempo. That is what we struggled with the initial time. We had been up and were however forcing stuff. That stuck with us. That was a major motivator,” Johnson claimed. “So we realized this match, when we received up, we had to gradual it down.”
Two totally free throws apiece from Hall and Johnson built it 44-37 at the 6:45 mark. Heights was within just 46-41 right before an 8- person operate by Colbert basically put the contest to rest, 54-41 with 1:10 to go.
“We began conversing on defense, comprehending who we desired to guard, what we essential to do,” LeBlanc said. “I assumed we did a far better career of heading to get the rebound in the 2nd fifty percent, specially in the fourth quarter and we knocked down some absolutely free throws at the conclusion.”